Coal Industry Contributing to Sequestration Research

None by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) Despite the nation's increased need for electricity, fear of regulations intended to reduce carbon emissions, and the costs of technology to capture and store carbon dioxide, make it unlikely that coal companies will build new power plants. Dr. Joseph Strakey, Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, says those fears have pushed the coal industry to become vested in the science of carbon capture and sequestration.

"Industry sees this coming, and it's inevitable, so they've been paying increased attention to the technology to capture CO2 and safely store it in geologic formations," says Strakey. "In fact industry is a large part of our research and development program, working together with us to show that we can do this."

Strakey says industry is paying 40% of the costs related to research into carbon capture and sequestration at the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Strakey will be among the speakers at a special event at the City Library Friday. The Utah Clean Coal Program will host a meeting on the Future of Coal in a Carbon Constrained World. To listen to a longer interview with Strakey, download a podcast of today's Midday Metro.

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